need a battery Options

[mtn flyr]

Time for a new battery, is Optima still the way to go? I've heard they have had some quality control issues lately, what do you guys think?

[ellisor3]

I was at a battery store last week for a replacement watch battery, but the guy was so helpful, that I asked him about Optima batteries since I saw they sold them. I asked him about their reliability and life. He said Optimas have gotten a somewhat bad reputation because they are not trickle charged properly. He told me that if you do not drive the car at least weekly, you need to trickle charge them with a AGM charger. Not Battery Tender. He said inactivity kills these batteries because they store power differently. They store more power than others, but if they sit idle, it shortens the life substantially. Here is an article that discusses this. http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/general...ry/viewall.html

[dlkawashima]

He told me that if you do not drive the car at least weekly, you need to trickle charge them with a AGM charger. Not Battery Tender. He said inactivity kills these batteries because they store power differently. They store more power than others, but if they sit idle, it shortens the life substantially. Here is an article that discusses this. http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/general...ry/viewall.html

The linked article seems to contradict what the watch battery guy said:

"Of course, you can avoid all these headaches with deep discharge and parasitic loads in the first place simply by using a float charger. Also known as battery tenders, these units deliver a small (500 to 800 milliamperes) but constant charge to the battery, keeping it fresh and fully charged. Just connect the float charger to a wall socket and to your battery when your car is not in use and you're good to go."